"Many of you may not know this but Plattsmouth once had a Burlington railroad trolley that served our community and we are excited to bring this piece of history back to life."
That line comes from the Historic Downtown Plattsmouth Association's September 30 community newsletter, which announced that the association now owns a small trolley of its own. The newsletter gives the reason in one sentence. HDPA bought it for events like the Steampunk Festival, It's Fall Y'all and Victorian Christmas on Main "as Ollie the Trolley will no longer service our area."
A trolley might sound like a small purchase. It fits a larger change, though. Downtown's organizers have been moving away from borrowing what they need from Omaha and away from spreading their effort across many small events. They now own more of their equipment and are putting their energy into a handful of big days. The next ten weeks are the first chance to see both changes on Main Street.
Why downtown stopped renting and started owning
Ollie the Trolley is an Omaha charter and tour company. It says it has served Omaha since 1985, covers the Omaha metro and Council Bluffs, and runs a fleet of eight trolleys. Owners Deb Skinner and George Davis bought the business in 2014, and it is based at 1716 Cuming Street in Omaha. The company is still running tours and charters. HDPA's notice only says that Plattsmouth is no longer part of its service area.
Downtown could have looked for another vendor. It bought a trolley instead. Grants from the Midlands Community Foundation and Cass County Tourism paid for it, along with HDPA funds and private donations. The association says the trolley is "100% owned and operated by HDPA." HDPA also plans to share it with other Plattsmouth nonprofits, agencies and Cass County communities. That means it may show up at events HDPA doesn't run.
The trolley doesn't have a name yet. HDPA is taking suggestions that "represent our community with a nod to our rich history here and throughout Cass County," and the winner gets a $100 cash prize. The name will be announced at the Creative Arts Fair on October 3, so this week is the last chance to enter.
Fewer events, each one bigger
The purchase fits a decision HDPA announced in its New Year's letter to members. In 2025 the association ran eleven events: four shopping days, three Live on the Plaza nights and four major gatherings. For 2026, HDPA said it would scale back the Poker Run and the Live on the Plaza concerts "to allocate more resources toward expanding major events such as the Steampunk Festival and the Creative Arts Fair." The stated goals were bigger crowds and more foot traffic for downtown businesses.
The 2026 schedule printed in that letter lists seven dates. Three are already behind us:
- Hello Spring, Shop, Stroll, Dine on March 21
- Steampunk Festival on May 30
- Christmas in July, Shop, Stroll, Dine on July 25
The other four fall between October 3 and December 5, so most of HDPA's remaining calendar happens in one stretch this fall. The trolley is meant for exactly these bigger events.
The same letter lists other projects in progress:
- A Creative Arts District application with the City of Plattsmouth and the Cass County Economic Development Council
- A historic walking tour guide in print and interactive versions, funded by a $1,500 grant received in 2025
- Grant applications for vintage-style wayfinding signs at the Entertainment Plaza, public restrooms, possibly with a Victorian-style mural, and public parking areas
- Shade canopies, a new stage, and event photography and drone footage of Main Street, if the grants come through
All of these are applications and drafts, not finished work. Taken together, they show the same approach as the trolley: build things downtown can keep and reuse.
The fall run, date by date
- Saturday, October 3: It's Fall Y'all & Creative Arts Fair. Runs 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. around 4th and Main, with local artisan shopping, vendors, fall activities and charitable giving. This is also where the trolley's name will be announced.
- Saturday, October 10: electronics recycling. Keep Cass County Beautiful runs a Plattsmouth electronics recycling event from 9 a.m. to noon.
- Friday, October 30: Halloween Trick or Treat on Main. Runs 4 to 6 p.m., with kids walking Main Street and stopping at shops and local businesses.
- Saturday, November 28: Small Business Saturday, Shop, Stroll, Dine.
- Saturday, December 5: Victorian Christmas on Main. Runs 5 to 8 p.m. at the Plattsmouth Entertainment Plaza on S. 4th Street, just off Main.
The Harvest Festival already filled Main Street on September 10 through 12. October 3 starts the next stretch.
October 3 is built around young artists
The Creative Arts Fair has an unusual feature this year. The Young Artist Club is holding a live painting competition on the Plaza. Ages 13 to 15 paint from 10 to 11 a.m., ages 16 to 19 paint from 11 a.m. to noon, and visitors can vote for their favorite until 4 p.m.
The art doesn't disappear when the fair ends. Selected pieces stay on display and for sale at participating downtown businesses for one week afterward. That gives people a reason to come back downtown the following week. It also matches HDPA's focus on foot traffic: the work that started on the Plaza ends up hanging in Main Street shops.
The flyer does not include a vendor list or a booth map. The simplest plan is to start at 4th and Main and walk from there.
Where to stop between events
The busiest downtown days are the ones that bring people into the buildings, so here are a few places worth stepping into.
River House Soda Fountain Cafe and Antiques is listed at 402 Main Street. In June 2026, KOLN reported that the building went up around 1900 as a distributorship for the Gund brewery of La Crosse, Wisconsin, and operated as a bar until 2004. Owner Jennifer Roby told the station it was "supposedly the longest operated bar in the state," even through Prohibition, because the brewery made a low-alcohol beer. The building still has its 25-foot mahogany bar and back bar, a 1920s tin ceiling and the original tile floor. A three-dimensional King Gambrinus, the patron saint of beer, sits above the door. Today the menu is old-fashioned sodas, ice cream treats, sandwiches, soups and salads. A restored player piano plays one song per dime, "and sometimes two if the dime sticks."
Herban Coffee and Blooms has its fall drinks on the menu, including pumpkin, autumn harvest and applejack lattes. The Cass County directory listing at 527 Main Street dates to 2023, so check the address before you go.
For shopping along the route:
- The Relic Refinery at 325 Main Street sells upcycled décor and finds from local vendors.
- Pieces Thrift & More at 437 Main Street is a nonprofit thrift store that supports adults with autism and helps them build job skills.
On Saturday mornings, the Plattsmouth Community Market runs from 8 a.m. to noon at its new location, 2400 8th Ave., through mid-October. On October 3 you can hit the market first and still reach Main Street in time for the 10 a.m. painting round.
After the jack-o'-lanterns
Pumpkins from October 30 don't have to go in the trash. Keep Cass County Beautiful is collecting pumpkins for compost at Hosanna Lutheran Church, 700 18th Street, from October 28 through December 1. That window stays open until just before Victorian Christmas on Main.
A note on the December listing
The Cass County tourism listing for Victorian Christmas on Main includes a 5:30 p.m. tree lighting and caroling at the Cass County Museum, Father Christmas, a hayrack ride, reindeer, cocoa, cider, popcorn, music by Terry Little, costumed characters and open shops. It also still names Ollie the Trolley. That listing was published in December 2025, before HDPA's September notice that Ollie no longer serves the area and that the association's own trolley will cover Victorian Christmas. If HDPA's plans hold, the trolley at Victorian Christmas will be its own, and it will have a name by then.
The HDPA newsletter doesn't give dates, a route or other details for the old Burlington railroad trolley. The naming contest is looking for names with a nod to local history, so that old Burlington line is fair game.
I've spent years helping families on both sides of the river, and I love seeing a town put money into something as hometown as a trolley on Main Street. If you have a name idea, enter it before Saturday. If you'd ever like to talk about Plattsmouth or anywhere else in the metro, Robin Philips is always happy to hear from you. Let's Connect.
